Winner of the 2022 Australian Derby, the fantastic Australian colt Hitotsu (AUS) hits yet another G1 in commanding fashion.

When Japanese sire Maurice, first hit Australian soil to stand at Arrowfield, one could see plainly this sire was much more… to Japan’s elite bred.

Maurice’s 4th dam Mejiro Botsatsu (JPN) a champion 2yo filly has 4x4x5 Blandford. And, it is here (i.e. Blandford) why the Hitotsu colt refreshingly, reminds he, the far superior bred individual with his looks (phenotype) can kill.

Maurice’s broodmare sire, Irish-bred Carnegie, unraced at two, was French 3yo champion to distinguish his racing career with the 1994 Forte Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.

Carnegie sired a number of New Zealand winners Tuesday Joy (multiple G1 & 2 winner) Perlin, Vision and Power (2x G1 winner) and Amalfi (Victoria derby winner).

We notice 6×6 Norseman (Umidar / Blandford) from the dam’s Jean Gow family by Neil Gow by Marco by Barcaldine. (n.b. the link to Papyrus from Miss Matty by Marcovil by Marco by Barcaldine).

The Y conduit factor of Roberto sire-line descendance stepping out legacy culminating Maurice and to his son Hitotsu, likely will be the hottest stallion to come.

• Love is Fickle (AUS) dam of Hitotsu – a New Zealand colonial family C4. And of course they are (C4), what went known as of numerous Musket-breds, there we find inbred dam Possibility to Musket’s son Nordenfeldt.
• How fortunate and incredible Australian and New Zealand were to have back then… the world TB cornerstone to staying, stamina and breeding…

But it is to Hitotsu’s grand-dam She’s a Meanie (NZ) where reminiscing comes closer home…

Old-times forgotten and to a gentleman whom both vet, and breeder knew the score of pedigrees.

Dear old Kem Keene from Pahiatua (NZ) will be looking down from above with his grimaced face muttering something like…”I told you so “

It looks like he used a West Derby ( Levin I think) mare Heirship ( by Bally Royal) to visit Brauner and produce a filly Brauner Flight

who remembers Brauner ??…….anyway my friend was at Hastings the day she won her only race and I see D Walsh rode her in her last start

Kem sent Brauner Flight to Musical Phantasy to get Shekanwyn……trained at Woodville from memory …a feisty  on-pace Christmas 2yo who won two races before midfield in the Matamata Breeders….and not doing much after that

Kem sent Shekanwyn down the road to Ardsley ( Masterton) to Prince Salieri

Prince Salieri was a commercial failure but I must say I loved him, a mid size beautifully balanced chestnut who danced in the Parade when I saw him

This is where it gets interesting because the mating should have produced a horse which didn’t run past 1200 metres….but in hindsight She’s a Meanie finished her racing career in the top few horses in the Country……that Avondale Cup was the Premier 2200m race in the country and she was just pipped by Giovanna in the WFA 2000m at Te Rapa

Not sure when Kem sold the filly who became She’s A Meanie but wasn’t she trained at Avondale

anyway looks like she was sold to Australia directly after racing in NZ

She’s A Meanie produced that serious sprinter / stallion  Love Conquers All and when visiting Redoute’s produced the mare Love is Fickle

and in turn when Love is Fickle visited Maurice…..Hitotsu is the result

Ciaron Maher credits Hitotsu’s superiority to his heart and lung capacity

I suppose the breeding guru’s from the Hunter Valley will be lauding the Maurice / Redoute’s cross

somehow I think the answer lies somewhere in the genetic / physical make up of She’s A Meanie……a mare who was bred to run 1200 m but ended up amongst our premier stayers” END

Pedigree Matters: –

Look to Princequillo 6x5x5 into She’s A Meanie. Further, the Mumtaz Begum. Mahal et al, multi-strains representative aka f.f. 9c

Isn’t it great to see Princequillo resurrected, since he, his stout genetics smothered into obscurity because genetic stamina today perhaps come viewed as slower development status (?)

heaven’s …. what goes finer, better and better into Princequillo profile > Papyrus / Tracery /Rock Sand and his dam Miss Matty by Marcovil!

Star Kingdom ( his grand-dam by Papyrus) his son Planet Kingdom hails from the Entreaty family. Note, her daughter Raphis is full-sister to Phar Lap. Therefore, collate those ‘store-house’ Musket genetics.

Empyreal Selene, the elite producer & dam of Hyperion, further secreting hers through Ballymoss, Pharamound, Hunter’s Moon, All Moonshine, Sickle.

I have long argued, even if so to myself, those whom split the difference, DO & shall split the BIG difference superiorly…..and should never, ever be overlooked, or assumed/read far back, as other genetics minor percentage.

It is a plea to recognize those ‘deep’ and retain for honour of future and our classic-bred Thoroughbred.

NO 1, number one – Hitotsu (AUS) a true classic-bred Pur-Sange thoroughbred a ‘100yr’ horse bred.

Hitotsu (above) pedigree